Blog

PICUM Programmes Director, Eve Geddie, explains how civil society can engage in the nomination of a strong expert committee which will measure the extent to which state parties have implemented the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention).

This blog summarises the outcome of the discussion of PICUM’s working group meeting on access to health care for undocumented migrants on 14 October 2014 in Brussel which also saw the launch of a policy brief on access to health care and the role of local and regional authorities (available in English and German).

The current approach to migrant children is piecemeal, focusing on protecting certain categories of children, such as unaccompanied, asylum seeking, refugee or trafficked children. Many children are falling through the gaps and facing grave and systematic rights violations. This blog makes the case for a rights-based approach that protects all migrant children, including undocumented children and families.

Following the EU elections, over 100 PICUM members came to Brussels to participate in PICUM’s 2014 Annual Workshop and General Assembly in June. Read here what PICUM members discussed to actively shape migration policies and build alliances to bring about change in the coming years.

The side event on "Ending child immigration detention" was organised jointly by four civil society organisations who strive to put an end to child immigration detention: Terre des Hommes, International Detention Coalition, PICUM and Save the Children. This blog of Terres des Hommes recounts the event and speaks about the impact detention has on the wellbeing of children.

On the occasion of International Domestic Workers' Day, PICUM wants to highlight an innovative resource of one of its members: A recipe book compiled by migrant domestic workers themselves sharing delicious meals of their countries of origin but also sharing their personal life stories and struggles to have their rights as workers recognised.

As Europe prepares to go the polls this month to elect its representatives for the 2014-2019 European Parliament, we invite you to take a deeper look into the recently passed European Parliament Resolution on Undocumented Migrant Women in the EU. What does it say about your MEP’s position on undocumented women’s rights? And should it influence how you vote in the coming weeks?

Immigration control has often been given priority over the rights of the child. This blog, based on a hearing organised by PICUM in November 2013, illustrates the urgent need for EU action to address violations of migrant children’s rights in the EU in light of the European Commission's development of strategic guidelines in the area of Justice and Home Affairs in 2014.

PICUM's working group on access to justice for undocumented women met in Brussels on 10 December 2013 to discuss how the EU Directive establishing minimum standards on the support and protection of victims of crime provides a significant opportunity to advance access to rights and justice for undocumented victims.

The first meeting of the PICUM’s Working Group on Legal Strategies was held in Brussels on 12 December 2013. The meeting brought together legal experts within the PICUM network and presented a key opportunity for those interested in developing legal strategies as a tool for policy change to improve mutual learning and share their experiences at regional, national and international level.

As Christmas approaches, PICUM has received many seasonal greetings underlining the large number of activities and campaigns taking place in support of undocumented migrants’ rights and would also like to thank its members and partners for the good cooperation.

PICUM hosted its third thematic working group on undocumented children and families on 13 November 2013 in Brussels. PICUM used the opportunity to update the 20 members participating on its advocacy work and policy developments both at global and EU level concerning the rights of undocumented children, with a focus on the immigration detention of children and families.

One of the salient features of the UK immigration detention system is that people know little about it. Nor are they aware that thousands of people are detained indefinitely for the administrative convenience of the state. Eiri Ohtani of the Detention Forum in London, UK explains how this practice breaches the rights of detained migrants.